The makers of "The Great Mouse detective" have to have been inspired by "The Great Race".

Of course, Basil was mostly made after the Sherlock Holmes movies, but this one gave many amazing ideas to the Disney plot, I am absolutely sure about that.

First, some main information about movie and actors.

"The Great Race" is from 1965 and is packed with some really great actors who belong to the most famous of their time.
It is about two competitors who participate at a race from New York to Paris with self-made cars. While the race is going on, they have to master funniest challenges.

Tony Curtis plays Leslie, a bon vivant and extreme athlete.


Jack Lemmon plays Professor Fate, his arch-enemy (Ratigan is surely inspired by him).
(Isn´t he lovely.)

Peter Falk (known from the crime series "Columbo") plays Fate's subordinate (Fidget is inspired by him).


Natalie Wood plays a journalist who participates at the race.

Well, now you ask: What´s similar? Let´s see.

1. Ratigan´s blimp

 
I think that the similarity is really viewable. In both cases, it is a miniature blimp that´s able to float in the air and moves by pedaling a propeller. I never saw this kind of mini-blimp like Ratigan's before, so I am sure the idea comes from "The Great Race". I mean, really. Compare. It is really really similar.

2. Professor Ratigan & Fidget and Professor Fate & Max Meen

 
Well, first of all, Professor and Professor. Okay, I admit that the name "Professor Ratigan" has its roots in Professor Moriarty, the evil arch-enemy of Sherlock Holmes - but still, also this similarity between both characters is remarkable.

However, way more interesting is the relationship between villain and subordinate. Both relationships are really comparable.
Ratigan intimidates Fidget heavily, the bat is really fearful and tries its best to serve its master. That means, Ratigan pushes Fidget around and gives him orders. If Fidget fails, Ratigan punishes him.
In "The Great Race", Professor Fate is the boss and Max is his subordinate. Similar is how Fate orders him around and how he always tries to serve the Professor, just like Fidget does. For example, Max sabotages the other competitor's race cars. First, both are really happy and laugh about the others who lose their tires for example. Then, Max explains "The next car I sabotaged is the car number 5, it´s gonna lose its engine!". Well, that car number 5 is their own car. They lose their engine... and Fate is really fucked off. That´s exactly how Fidget also uses to fail, isn´t it?
The only difference is Max' self-confidence. He often stands up to his boss, unlike Fidget. Fidget fears Ratigan, Max doesn´t fear Fate much. In the scene with the sabotaged own car, Max isn´t afraid but only suprised and Fate doesn´t punish him.

3. Appearance

 
Compare, please.
Top hat, black black and black and this typical slightly ducked pose. If you would listen to Fate, you´d also hear the similarity of their dark and heavy voices.
Moreover, in some scenes, Professor Fate and Max even wear batwing-like coats, with jags. Which refers heavily to Fidget.

Look at his coat (12 seconds)! To me, very obvious.

3. The main plot

The plots are of course different. "The Great mouse detective" is about a detective mouse solving a crime and Ratigan´s the villain. "The Great Race" is about two all-time competitors who compete at a race from New York to Paris.
BUT: There are still similarities in some plotlines.

First similarity:

The idea of creating a fake queen that appoints the villain Ratigan as King.
In "The Great Race", the competitors pass a (maybe German?) castle with a king called Frederick Hapnik. That king looks exactly like Professor Fate (it´s the same actor of course) and so, the subordinates of the king force Fate to take Frederick´s role and nominate one of them as mighty chancellor. So similar. Huh.
 

Second similarity:

The bar scene where Miss Kitty sings together with her Can-Can-Girlies.

Almost the same scene finds place in "The Great Race", only in a Western American pub. The singer in that movie doesn´t rip off her dress like Kitty does, but the rest is the same.
Also, the mass brawl afterwards stays the same. In both movies, everyone begins to fight everyone and the piano player continues playing. The best: Just like in TGMD, also in this movie, two guys hang on two chandeliers and crush into each other! A detail that is so detailed can´t be coincidence.
Click here to watch the scene with the chandeliers in TGMD. You have to go until the end of the video.

4. Smile everyone!!!

A running gag in "The Great Race" is a lady who participates at the race and always photographs everything about the race. Whenever there is about to be shot a photo, the race participants stop their action (no matter if they for example are about to rumble with each other or whatever) and grin extremely happily which looks so stupid, just like Basil does in the famous scene.

5. Same music maker for BOTH movies!!!

Yes, really. Henry Mancini - an amazing musician who made the music for many many great films - created the songs for both movies. Which shows: Another similarity and reference.


Click here and listen to Professor Fate's theme song by Henry Mancini.

I totally hope that I could convince you of my ideas and comparisons between both movies.

Also, I hope to have inspired you to watch "The Great Race". It is SO FUNNY. You need another convincing scene? Watch this one:

Bye-bye and stay awesome until the next article of mine!

Yours, UnicornCat